The legalization of marijuana has led to a growing marketplace of media websites reviewing strains of marijuana for potency, taste and, unfortunately, health benefits. Because research doesn’t back up the claims made by these sites, we urge online publishers to review the health benefits they are promising consumers and warn consumers to be wary of what they read online regarding marijuana’s ability to treat medical conditions.

Sites like The Cannabist and Leafly describe various strains of marijuana they say will ease pain, nausea and headaches, and others that can be used for stress, depression, ADD and other mental health conditions. What we have found, however, is that there is a notable lack of published clinical trials demonstrating the medical effectiveness of marijuana for treatment of mental health conditions. In fact, marijuana use has been associated with increased anxiety for some users.

It is the role of public health to research those health claims and separate fact from fiction. Recognizing that role, the Colorado General Assembly created the Medical Marijuana Research Grant Program to fund rigorous scientific research on the effectiveness of using marijuana as part of medical treatment. The health department will soon announce the availability of $9 million in research grants to fund credible studies on the health impacts of marijuana.

Under the state’s Medical Marijuana Registry, only a licensed physician may recommend marijuana for a patient. And those medical marijuana recommendations must be for one of eight medical conditions set forth in Amendment 20: cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, cachexia (severe weight loss related to chronic disease), persistent muscle spasms, seizures, severe nausea and severe pain.

We urge Coloradans to consult their health care providers before using marijuana for treatment of all physical and mental health conditions.

Larry Wolk is executive director and chief medical officer with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.